1 Corinthians Discussion | Chapter 1 | Jamey, Kelly, Shaun & Kayce

Join Pastor Jamey, Kelly, Shaun, and Kayce as they kick off their journey through 1 Corinthians, unpacking the powerful truths, practical wisdom, and timeless encouragement found in week one of this transformative book!

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Transcript

Summer Collab Kickoff

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Welcome back to another episode of the Life's Lessons Podcast, where we dive deeper into scripture, past messages, and more with Pastor Jamie Bridges.

SPEAKER_02 0:15

Here we are, folks. First time. First time. Well, it's not the first time I've ever had both of you in the podcast room, but at the same time, we've got a what'd you call it?

SPEAKER_04 0:24

It's a collab.

SPEAKER_02 0:25

A collab happening here. A collab between She Wakes and Life Lessons with Pastor Jamie.

SPEAKER_04 0:32

We're gonna collab all summer long.

SPEAKER_02 0:34

I should have actually had a better like starter music where like the two music were like crashing together. I'll I'll see if Duncan can pull something off for us. Like that Duck Dynasty. What is your guys' is like floating on a cloud or something?

SPEAKER_03 0:47

It's acoustic, it's bright. It sounds She Wake.

SPEAKER_02 0:50

Hold up. I think I have a here it is, here it is.

SPEAKER_04 0:54

Yeah, we're the red button.

SPEAKER_06 0:55

Oh, there it is.

SPEAKER_04 0:56

See, we're good. Everything is wonderful. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_06 0:59

It's like Joel Osteen's intro.

SPEAKER_04 1:00

Wake up. Oh, you don't listen to Joel Osteen's podcast. There it is.

SPEAKER_02 1:10

We'll have to take, we'll just take a Duncan Wild. Why is it called Duck Dynasty?

SPEAKER_04 1:13

It just sounds Duck Dynasty. Well, I it's not.

SPEAKER_02 1:16

Have you watched Duck Dynasty?

SPEAKER_04 1:18

No, I think she means the Unashamed.

SPEAKER_01 1:20

Yeah, it's the Unashamed. Oh, on their podcast.

SPEAKER_03 1:22

It sounds similar to the Unashamed intro, which is cool music.

SPEAKER_01 1:26

I love it. I love it.

SPEAKER_03 1:27

I like it. I don't like it. I don't hate it. You need different. Hey. Hi. Hi. How are you?

SPEAKER_02 1:33

Is this this is not the first time you're in a podcast room with Casey, is it?

SPEAKER_06 1:36

I mean, I I can't remember.

SPEAKER_03 1:37

I think we've been on together twice when we had a guest.

SPEAKER_02 1:40

It wasn't memorable, hey?

SPEAKER_03 1:42

No, I remember. She remembers. I don't know the exact date, but we were we've been in here twice.

SPEAKER_06 1:48

I can give you the date. I couldn't remember what we talked about. That's right.

SPEAKER_03 1:52

I can. That's not what this podcast is about.

Why Corinth Feels Like Now

SPEAKER_03 1:56

We're not in here to go back and find about not having us on the podcast.

SPEAKER_02 1:59

Well, this podcast is about 1 Corinthians, because we're on our summer series, the book of Corinthians, the first book, first letter that Paul wrote to the Corinthian church. And uh and so we're gonna try to help everyone just go a little deeper and everybody's gonna kind of jump in with staff. All staff members are gonna be involved with this, and so it'll be really cool. Sometimes Mike and we'll be on, Jody will be on. It'll be a collab of kind of everybody uh sharing and talking and discussing. So it'll be good. And so, like, here's my question for you guys where do you want to start? A little background?

SPEAKER_04 2:29

Yeah, starting Corinth.

SPEAKER_06 2:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:32

Kind of what was going on in the day. Let's talk about what where we're at, why who who's writing this letter, where's this Corinth? What is Corinth all about? How's it similar to a a Corinth in our real world? All those kind of things. Talk to me.

SPEAKER_06 2:46

Yeah, I mean, obviously, you read Acts chapter 18, you can get a a pretty good picture of, you know, Paul and and why he planted a church in Corinth and and what it looked like. It gives you a little picture, I mean, of of a culture that is um, I think desiring to follow Jesus, but I I still and we might disagree on this, but I I think Corinth was um full of people who just didn't know better. Like I think they're a mixture of people, but I think for the most part they uh were so used to culture and then trying to follow Jesus. And I I think that's the similarities to, you know, today. I think a lot of people, uh accountability and and saying hard things and dealing with conflict and dealing with things in people's lives. I mean, there's a lot of people that just I didn't know I wasn't supposed to be doing that. Um and it's a mixture of people not diving into the Bible and and knowing what the Bible says. And that's the reason Paul said to Timothy, like, hey, you're responsible for uh first and foremost, you know, discipling yourself. Like you need to dig deep, not just always being told things. And so uh I think there's a mixture of that. People, I think a majority of them are Christians who are going, I had no idea that I wasn't supposed to be doing these things. And then once you get into those things that they're doing, you're like appalled, right? Because it's like, wow, these are some major things that they're doing, not just divisions, but that's where I mean that's where division happens, right? When people start going, you should know better. But then they don't. And and instead of taking patience and grace to walk them through it, we're just like, You should have known. You can't do that, and now what do you have? You have division.

SPEAKER_03 4:26

I think it's interesting he goes there right after Athens, and like with all the Greek mythology and stuff, I feel like in Athens he's focused on one thing. So it's I love how Why are you bringing up Athens and what book before?

SPEAKER_02 4:38

So before what? Where were you at?

SPEAKER_03 4:39

Acts se well, it's Acts 17.

SPEAKER_02 4:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 4:42

So he it says after this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. So that's just where he was right before.

SPEAKER_02 4:48

And um Why would why would anybody let me just ask the dumb question, if I can be a dumb person in the room, why why would why are we reading the book of Acts about Corinth and Paul? Like what what's going on?

SPEAKER_03 4:59

Well, that tells us where it's at. That's one one thing I like. If you don't read the Bible like a fortune cookie, like little tiny piece by piece to put on a bumper sticker or like, oh, I need a little tiny daily devotional. If you put the whole story together, you're like, oh, things make sense, you know?

SPEAKER_02 5:15

Like, well, I mean, because primary in Acts we're reading about Paul's missionary journeys, right? So we're we're reading about him moving around, doing his thing, and then picking up more information.

SPEAKER_03 5:23

Right.

SPEAKER_02 5:23

Right. Kind of thing.

SPEAKER_03 5:24

But when he's in Athens, he's primarily focused on their mythology and like their gods and stuff like that. And he's like, you have a just in case unknown god that you don't even know, and you built it yourself, you don't even know. And now he's moving into Corinth, like what Pastor Jamie said. We know that they have like access to all trade, all the current events, all the like the most current culture things you can think of, which makes me think of where we are today in America. I can only speak for America is where I'm at. But we have access to every knowledge you can think of on our phones. And I think a lot of people want to have they wanna the realization and like the savior of Jesus and also still fit in what they know and what they're familiar with. And so it is hard to start breaking stuff up. Oh, well, my family's always done this, or I've always dressed this way, or I've always done that for entertainment, or we've always been a part of that. So yeah, that's what I was thinking of when he was saying that.

SPEAKER_04 6:18

Jody and I spent the last semester in First Corinthians with our Wednesday night small group. And so I always like to remind we I said we would remind ourselves. I've I like to think of it as like Paul coming in and rewiring the brains of the Corinthians because they've been pagan up until this point, and so you're very immersed in your culture. So um Corinth had a very lively sex trade. Um they had a lot of temples, over two dozen temples of different pagan gods. They're one of their main gods was Aphrodite. So you have all of this happening and you've lived in it for so long, and now you become Christian, and so you have to rewire the way your brain worked to this new way of life. And so I you can we'll see all the way through First Corinthians that he's always correcting what they're doing because just like us, just like we get caught up in our culture and we need correction, they were the same thing. You walk out your door and you can go to a pagan temple at any time.

SPEAKER_06 7:24

Well, and I think what's crazy is going back to Athens, uh Corinth had just at this time surpassed Athens when it came to uh political, government, uh commercial, they were now bigger than that. So now you combined wealth and having you know, so much of society puts whether we're successful on how wealthy we are, how how much money is coming in, and because of all that, all this money's coming in. We we've talked, you know, you know, the sex trafficking. I mean, it's you know, sex trafficking, the porn industry, yeah. I mean, it it brings it generates more money than every major league sports. I mean, that's a lot of money, right? So then from that standpoint, you know, so that was always a question we would ask, like, do you understand when some of these things shut down, what it does to your wealth? You know, this is what's happening. I mean, the it says like there, you know, Corinth was political, commercial, center of Greece, surpassing Athens in importance. It had a reputation for wickedness and immorality, and then it goes into the amount of temples that were, like Kelly said, that were being built. I mean, it's uh, you know, it's a dangerous thing when from the top down and then the bottom up money is the the issue. And so then this is this is what you're getting. This is the people.

SPEAKER_03 8:51

And how regular life we're a part of it more than you would think. Like certain clothing brands, entertainment things, like if you want to take all of the evil sources away, we would all be inconvenienced. And naked. Yeah, we would have it and no computers are both. There is something going through at this time.

The Letters We Do Not Have

SPEAKER_03 9:10

I didn't realize that there's a third letter we don't have. Like I think I read some commentary. Sounds like there's actually four. Really? Another one? First Corinthians actually the second letter.

SPEAKER_04 9:21

No, I mean there's one we don't have. Oh, okay. So we have in verse 11, some members of Chloe's house have told me. So Chloe's household wrote him a letter or brought him a letter. That's the first letter. First Corinthians is actually the second letter. Then the third letter is one we don't know, and that's mentioned in 2nd Corinthians, actually. It's a tearful letter of some sort. And then 2nd Corinthians is actually the fourth letter.

SPEAKER_03 9:49

Does it so the middle one, just going through it slowly, I was like, it sounds like Paul rage texted them. Yes, and somehow we lost it. And he's probably that's probably we get that letter back.

SPEAKER_06 10:04

It was a carrier. So it wasn't a Snapchat. It was a Snapchat. Yeah, it just disappeared.

SPEAKER_03 10:09

But it's I mean, it was about sexual immorality, right? That one was, and that one it mentions in the tearful letter. Oh, maybe I yeah. I thought that's what it said in it. So Corinthians too.

SPEAKER_04 10:18

And I was like, oh, he must have let them have it. I feel like there's a few times in the So it was like a Diddy party before a ditty party?

SPEAKER_02 10:25

Maybe that's what was happening. Well, I mean, obviously, some crazy stuff going on one day, you know.

SPEAKER_04 10:29

I've I don't know where I've found this um saying, but you it was a saying at the time that you would become Corinthianized. Yeah. So it'd be like living in LA or New York or Vegas. Is LA in Vegas the same thing?

SPEAKER_05 10:43

No, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_04 10:45

Las Vegas is in Nevada. Yeah, two different things, but it's like that kind of like we want to put it in like all context. Like all the wild behavior that you could think of. That's what's going on in Corinth.

SPEAKER_02 10:56

It's the sin city of its time periods. It's the sin city, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 10:59

And what's worse happens in Corinth, stays in Corinth.

SPEAKER_03 11:02

I don't know, but what's worse too is like your businesses and your livelihood depended on participating in these things. So like if you're not going to this dinner and the orgy stuff they're doing, they're not gonna do business with you, and now your kids are hungry. So it's kind of like, okay, I want to be a follower of the way, but I also need to keep my family business. So sometimes I have to go to these things. So it's and that we can relate to. And you're gonna see it all through the chapter. Yes. So it's harder than you think. Like it's easy for me to say, well, I would know, never go to them. Well, I'm not gonna go over.

SPEAKER_06 11:35

Especially name-wise, right? Especially family heirloom, you know, you you've always done this again in a culture where like you know, now it's like we let our kids make up our decisions on what they're gonna do with their life. And there's like, oh my dad's a tent maker, I'm a tent maker. I had to be, yeah. Oh, my dad owns this business, I'm gonna own that business. Like, there was no like family business was family business. Like you're generations.

SPEAKER_03 11:59

And you had to have, yeah, you can't just be like, oh, we we follow a different way now. You do, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:04

You know what I think? You know how you can take different parts of our country and you can take the church, the big sea church, let's say on the east coast or the west coast, and their beliefs are gonna be different than the ones in the Midwest. Why that is, I have no idea. So I feel like this is what Paul, like, if he was gonna write a letter to the American Church, it would be like, hey, big sea church, you guys on the Midwest are the East Coast are doing this, the West Coast are doing this, the Midwest are doing this. But this is what we're supposed to be doing. We're supposed to be united into one and we're like fractioned. Yeah. Even like today. You know, that's why I like to like think of it in my mind when I'm reading through.

SPEAKER_03 12:47

Well, what I love about Paul, I had read in a I had read in a commentary that he moved there and had his business, his tent-making business for two years and then started putting a church together. And I think it is easy, like you meet someone who's new to Christianity or wherever. You want to make a list of, well, you shouldn't be doing this, this, this, this, this, or anymore. Or like culturally speaking, I'm on East Coast, West Coast, Midwest, and it's gonna be a little different. He did life with them and then is like, I'm gonna bring you back to the main thing. Yeah. And there might be some culture flair here and there, but like I'm gonna keep pointing you to Jesus.

SPEAKER_04 13:21

I think if I'm not mistaken, this is 50 years post crossing resurrection. It's hard to that's so hard to do. So we've been following the way for 50 years. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So, you know, some of them are 50 years into and go ahead.

SPEAKER_02 13:39

No, no, I I was just gonna say, um, so we're we're talking about Christians that are just a year and a half approximately old, right? Like, because it took, I mean, we're talking like 18 months, like because he has started this church. Yeah, correct, correct? So he moves here, started this church, and from what I understand, there's no other location that he stayed this long, Paul, right? Like, this is a long time for Paul to be in a location. And too, like, I think this is the most content that we have from Paul to one specific church. There's so much for us to learn in this in these 16 verses.

SPEAKER_06 14:10

I mean, when you think about if you narrowed down four areas that this city is known for. Like, if you think about Columbia, what are we known for? And we said, like, let's let's pick four things that we're known for. Corinth is known for sexual immorality, idol worship, political pride, and social class divisions.

SPEAKER_05 14:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 14:34

Those four things all intertwine. You know what I mean? So politically, what side are you on? And then social class, it's like, well, if you're not here, it's

A Church Called To Be Holy

SPEAKER_06 14:45

because you're not, you know, in that class, right? And so, and then you then you say let's take people from that are experiencing all of these things and go, you follow Jesus now.

SPEAKER_02 14:58

Yeah.

unknown 14:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:59

Broad. And it's gonna cost you. Well, here's here's what a question I have for you as you've been reading, studying, and Kelly, you've obviously been in this book for some time now, but like, is the what is what is more so the problem? And maybe it's an equal, but two problems. Is it is it we have a very immature group of people that are learning how to live for Christ, or or is it both, or is it we also have Christians that are not stepping up communicating to other Christians on how they should live and how they should not live?

SPEAKER_04 15:29

Hmm, that's a good question. I don't know if I would say they're necessarily immature believers. I think that's probably true, but I do think they're because Corinth's immature in the fact that like they're a year and a half in, they've you know but they were very much into promoting themselves, like their culture, very much promoting themselves, and also very much into human wisdom. So they were intelligent.

SPEAKER_02 15:57

Which knowledge and teaching, the gifts that even Paul taught.

SPEAKER_04 16:00

And that's what they liked the most. When he's thinking, which is why, like, when we're gonna say, Oh, I follow Apollos, I follow well, Apollos was a much better.

SPEAKER_02 16:06

Oh, I follow Kelly, I follow Jamie, I follow Paul.

SPEAKER_04 16:08

Apollos was a better preacher than Paul. And so everyone liked him. He was a smooth talker. Not meaning he was a smoozer, but you know, he was good at it.

SPEAKER_06 16:17

He was a good better Paul Apollos would say.

SPEAKER_04 16:20

Yes, and so people like I've so I don't I I mean maybe it's probably both.

SPEAKER_02 16:25

Sure. I think it is. I don't think it's one or the other thing.

SPEAKER_04 16:28

The funny thing is, is I don't know. I guess immature believers, but obviously there are problems going on. So my question is, and I don't know the answer to this, sometimes it's when I like Jody around because she remembers the details.

SPEAKER_02 16:39

Sure.

SPEAKER_04 16:40

So Chloe's household has written a letter back. So he had to be there, set the church up. Was that for two years? Yeah. Or he lived there two years and he said that he leaves. Yeah, whatever he teaches them, they mess up somehow. So then they write a letter back and say, these are the things going on. And so now then we have a letter back, First Corinthians. Let me fix the problems. There are a lot of problems because there's 16 chapters.

SPEAKER_02 17:06

Well, like from what I understand, like the first six. Yeah. The first six chapters were dealing with problems. The rest of the chapters were answering questions, correct? So we're out.

SPEAKER_04 17:15

But these are the questions that they have written to him.

SPEAKER_02 17:17

Yes, like they're wanting which guys, this is such a great thing for us. Like these are incredible answers. Like there's so much relatable.

SPEAKER_03 17:23

We probably have all the we're we're asking some questions, right? So what do we do about it?

SPEAKER_06 17:28

Yeah, but I think I think the theme, and we obviously get this in verse verse two of chapter one, is like the theme is like a church called to be holy in an unholy culture. And that's why he says, like, listen, you you know, to you have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Jesus Christ, just as he did for all people everywhere. So so he's like, guys, you're not excluded in this, you're included in it. The call is this. I mean, I always view it like from a standpoint of like there's new converts, and they're they're what we would call like the fun converts, like so-and-so got saved, right? Like, I mean, like the wealthiest of the wealthy, he got saved. Yeah, and I think there are some people in Corinth that are like I've been here and I've been faithful. Paul, I've I've helped you, and now we're we're celebrating this wealthy guy over here. But I think Paul was intertwined with them as a tent maker, as someone who's successful, as someone who's been there, and then he sees like this is a this is a messy place that I think we should plan a church. And I'm not gonna live here, but I miss being here, but don't forget this is what you're called to do as the church. Yep. I mean, I I started as I've read Corinthians, I've always thought like, yeah, I don't know if I'd want to live there either, Paul. I don't think so.

SPEAKER_04 18:55

So many times, like, oh my gosh, you dumb Corinthians.

SPEAKER_06 18:59

I mean, it's the reason, like I was like always said like Judah Smith was in Seattle, but yeah, I got a church in LA that I see every once in a while.

unknown 19:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 19:07

We don't live there, but Seattle would be much better, probably. Maybe a little, I think a tiny bit all the time.

SPEAKER_02 19:15

I mean, it is a reminder that God is calling people into the hardest of places to start new movements, you know.

SPEAKER_04 19:21

Way to be pastoral, Sean.

SPEAKER_06 19:22

I mean, it's well, all of it makes sense then when you look at like chapter six, where you're talking about suing one another and and it's like, okay, like these people are doing that. Like, oh guys, you can't do that anymore. But that how many times have they done it? You know what I mean? Like, how many times are like I'm gonna take you to court? Yeah, yeah. Well, you can't do that anymore. Like man, you're believing don't don't take it outside of here and use a a secular judge, someone who doesn't know. Like, like sit down and talk those things out. So it makes sense when when you start understanding the background of like, you know, the the nitpicky. It sounds nitpicky, right? But it's like, I mean, even the communion, like, oh yeah, you're taking communion, like you can't do that. And it's like, seems like he's nitpicking, but he's teaching, he's he's giving an example. They don't know any different, they've just always sued each other.

SPEAKER_02 20:16

That's what I mean by maturity, they're maturing in these areas of their life. So all of us can learn a better way next time. But I don't know about it. Yeah, but I think it's interesting, like you know, obviously in that verse one, Paul called Paul, right? God's will. So Paul is called God's will. God calls leaders to help believers mature. So, like, who's who are the Pauls in your circle that are gonna reach out to you and say, Yeah, you need it? We can't as Christians, I can't as a Christian ignore my brother Jamie when he's slipping. I I'm at fault now too. Like I need to be able to look at him and say, Hey, bro, listen, we need to have a reality. How many times do you say follow me as I follow Chris? Right. Exactly. Yeah, both very important.

SPEAKER_03 20:53

And so And I think it's

Being In The World Wisely

SPEAKER_03 20:55

okay when it may ebb and flow for you. Like if you always lived this way up to this point, and then maybe you've matured or you've, you know, been revealed the wisdom of God and you see it differently now. I I don't know. I feel like some people are said in you know the phrase, be in the world, but not of it. I used to think that was so simple, such a simple phrase. But now as I'm having kids and like different friend groups and stuff like that, I'm like, oh, that's a little harder than it's just not as black and white for person to person. Everyone has their own place on the spectrum of what it means to be in the world, but not of the world, like how much they're willing to be a part of or exposed to and still be able to be the influence for Jesus. But I think you said it, Pastor Jamie, on Sunday. Yeah, you did. You said Jesus was around those people too. But when he left, like they were changed by him. They were influenced by him. He was in circles and not being influenced. So I think that's always the bottom line for me is can I be around someone or something and not be influenced myself? But hopefully I'm being the influencer in that area. Buzzword, sorry. Influencer. Not in that way, you know.

SPEAKER_02 22:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:03

Paul will say that too in chapter nine. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:06

Well, and this is what Paul's trying to do. He's trying to get Corinth out of the Corinth believers, right? He's trying to remove that from the channel.

SPEAKER_04 22:13

I become a Jew, and when I'm a Gentile, I become a Gentile, but when I'm a Gentile, I do not uh I d follow the ways of the Lord. I don't become a Gentile. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 22:25

Just kidding. How do you how do you put that in like uh an example of today? Like I mean I I I feel like I'm constantly around people that um you know, obviously not our all followers, but like alcohol is always an issue, you know, you know, or um sex before marriage. Yeah, I mean attitude, game, yeah. All those things where it's like um how you put it into perspective and or or just even the classic like, oh I said a bad word, sorry, say that in front of you. And it's like, well, be sorry because it's wrong, not because you said it in front of me, right? Like that's the I don't know, it's such a fine line as far as what you were even saying, Casey, as far as like how we're acting, you know, and and then recognizing like some of these people aren't followers of Jesus, so there is a little different. I'm not holding them to a Christ standard. It's different if they're saying, you know, sinners are sinning. Oh, okay, that we we get that, but like it's different when someone says, No, I desire to follow Christ, I want to be better, help me in this area. I think for the most part, in our culture, we don't let people in that close to even hear those words. I mean, when was the last time someone looked at you and said, Hey, will you help me follow Christ? Now that's a different scenario than you going and having a play date with someone that is not following Jesus and being an example. We're talking about two different things. That's not necessarily what Paul's addressing. I think that's the attitude and going back to what you just said, how people were raised and the the lifestyle that they lived growing up, how they dealt with money, how their parents dealt with money, what their parents did on the weekend, what they didn't because the parents did that on the weekend, were they vacationed? All those things comes into play that now when you're following Jesus, you're going, Do I want to not do those things? Yeah. Do I want to I like those things, but now I know I can't do those things. So now what do I do? And that's the that's the conflict. So much of how we were raised plays such an important role with who we're becoming.

SPEAKER_05 24:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 24:41

Especially as you have kids.

SPEAKER_03 24:43

Yeah.

unknown 24:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:44

I'm revisiting lots of patterns and things. Like when you have kids, I feel like you re-examine everything. It's like, wait, how am I sending these kids up and off? It's hard. Yeah. It's intimidating. I'm just like, I hope we're doing this right.

SPEAKER_02 24:57

That's very true. That's very true.

The Cross Versus Human Wisdom

SPEAKER_04 25:00

You guys want to know my favorite verse in chapter one? This is for you and that's what we want. This is for you and Sean and all the preachers out there.

SPEAKER_02 25:06

Give us where are we going? What verse?

SPEAKER_04 25:08

This is uh well, I don't have my glasses. 21. Since God in his wisdom saw saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he's used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. Isn't that just a relief for all of us? Yes, it is a relief.

SPEAKER_02 25:26

It is a relief. It is really, yeah. Praise the Lord. We're gonna get to hear Kelly preach this summer.

SPEAKER_04 25:33

Apparently so. Let's go.

SPEAKER_03 25:35

Apparently so, she's it's gonna be good. That was actually my favorite too, Kelly.

SPEAKER_02 25:41

Why why is it your favorite? Explain that to me. Well, my actually is funny, but I know you were making a joke.

SPEAKER_04 25:46

I um no, I actually really had a a kind of an epiphany, and this goes back all the way to chapter or sorry, verse 18, that the message of the cross is foolish for those who are headed for destruction, but we who are being saved know it's the very power of God. And I was somewhere over Christmas time at a party at someone's house who does not follow the Lord at all. And on my way home, and I oh, I was probably studying this chapter actually, because we're getting ready to start small groups again. And it just kind of was like, oh yeah, the way that they live is nonsense to me. It makes no sense. Uh I can't even comprehend it. But then I was like, they feel that same way about me.

SPEAKER_05 26:32

Yeah. Foolishness.

SPEAKER_04 26:34

So when we are around those kind of people, I I was like, I need to keep in mind that I am foolish to them. And so then I need to watch what I say, I need to watch how I treat them, I need to watch, I need to be more on not on guard, but like more aware of what I'm doing in places where people think that I'm foolish. So I don't actually make myself look like a fool. That I give a good representation of Jesus when I'm around them. Because they their minds can't comprehend it. So that's why I was but then it's like, thank you, Jesus, because our foolish preaching can save people. Well, I think it's a reminder.

SPEAKER_06 27:15

It's also a reminder of who does the saving. Yeah, it's not about it. We plant seeds.

SPEAKER_04 27:21

He says this too because the Corinthians were so much about human wisdom. It was very important to them. So he's saying, you who think you are so wise, you aren't wise at all. Like your intelligence really is nothing compared to the Lord.

SPEAKER_03 27:39

Well, and I know I've said this so many times, uh, but I have five friends with divinity ministry degrees that are not Christians anymore. One I'm thinking and hoping is closer to coming back, but one is even further than before. And they're people that knew the right answer at one point. And in the NIV, the title of this uh before right before verse 18, it said, Christ crucified is God's power and wisdom. And I think the cross, and um, even a friend was sharing me recent with me recently that they're kind of trying to witness and mentor someone right now who has come to believe in Jesus, like she's open to the message, but she can't fully step in because the idea that you can just simply be forgiven like frustrates her. Like it cannot be that easy. And I'm like, just I do I do life closely with some people that are smarter than me, more bigger achievers, have higher degree things and have zero interest in faith or church or God. And it when I was reading this, I was just like, man, God saw to it. And that's the NLT. So I like to read these separate, the NLT. He saw to it that you can't, you would never know him through human wisdom. It's when we drop all of that, like I can't be arrogant in this, I can't figure it out enough. I can't go get a ministry degree and it's gonna stick forever, or I can't, you know, God has to prove it to me. And he's like, No, I saw to it that you would never be able to know me in that. Something that you can grasp or put in your own box or your own tradition or understanding. And it's just kind of like it's been making me ask, I've been praying lately, like, God, how do you want me to know you? Because I know you the way I think I know you, but do you want me to know you a new way that's like outside of my control or where I've been or what I've learned up to this point? And I am open to learn differently and new and just want to know him better.

SPEAKER_04 29:33

You know how you can have really, really, really intelligent people, but they're really stupid. That's what I always think about. Like your human intelligence can serve you wrong. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 29:45

But it's intimidating to you if you don't have all the accolades. You know, it's intimidating to feel like you have anything to offer to them.

SPEAKER_04 29:51

But then you read this, it's like, wait a second, that don't you think like, how do you have divinity degrees and you don't follow the Lord? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:00

Here's what here's here's here, I'll maybe I can answer. I can't answer the question, but just want some thought if we jump back to what Paul says in his in his thankfulness, or no, when he talks about division, right? He's talking about these individuals and they're fighting, they're arguing over personalities. Oh no, I follow. Oh no, I follow. Oh, I know I follow. And he's they're talking about humans, right? And he says, What? Are we not are we not all following the cross? Are we not all following the message of the cross? Jesus crucified. None of these men crucified themselves for you. Why are you following them? This is ridiculous. Like get your eyes. So it's funny in the first like handful of verses, we see the name of Jesus in every single verse. Yeah. And then all of a sudden, these believers get their eyes off of Jesus and get their eyes on men, and they end up having theologi theolog uh they end up having doctrine.

SPEAKER_03 30:51

I can't even say the word because I could go through each friend and what book they write. They get their eyes off of Jesus, have their eyes on the other.

SPEAKER_02 31:00

Commentary writer, follow this. Like we're that's so true. Jamie, Sean, Kelly, Casey, Jody, we're humans.

SPEAKER_04 31:06

Right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:07

We're humans.

SPEAKER_04 31:07

Follow I'm not saying, you know what I mean like I mean, you could go now we have celebrity pastors, right? So we have we're X. We have C Y Z. The superstar is a man, the superstar's not Jesus.

SPEAKER_02 31:18

Why at the end it's so cool, he says, um, at the very end, he says, I love this question. Brothers and sisters, consider your calling. Not many you were wise from human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth, and say, God has chosen you. Right? Because you leaned into the cross.

SPEAKER_06 31:36

But I I would also go back and say the book of Corinthians is who made them celebrity pastors. They made Apollos who Apollos was. Yeah, oh they made Peter who he was.

SPEAKER_04 31:47

Well, they loved the wisdom and the knowledge. Like it was insane. We're drawn to people.

SPEAKER_06 31:51

I don't see I don't see quote unquote celebrity pastors as the problem. I see the people as the problem.

SPEAKER_04 31:58

But so we're drawn to the people who are slick and good talkers, right? So Apollos was a very good rhetorician of the time. So and they he was well spoken, he was well educated. Paul was well educated too. You want to know a piece of information that I just heard, and I should have gone back and listened to it. It's a certain it's not in the Bible. Sorry, it's extra biblical text where it's found, and it describes Paul, and it says that he was bowed-legged, and the word bow-legged in um the Hebrew means dwarf. So he was very, very short. Yes, and which so I did I Googled, and like a regular a Jewish man, like top size was five seven, so he was a lot shorter. So core in Corinthians, poor guy, for sure. They like stature, wisdom, intelligence, everything that was so important to them. And so he comes in and he was smart, but Apollos was slicker, and so he that's where he's saying, like, none of that matters. And if you look up in uh verses like the four through nine-ish, it says they have every single spiritual gift already in that church. Like God has enriched your church in every way, all of your eloquent words, all of your knowledge, it confirms what I told you about Christ is true. Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly await for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. So they were very um I don't know how I would say like you know how people were very drawn to someone who with a gift of healing, or were very drawn to someone with a gift of prophecy, like that was very, very important to them. And you'll learn, true, speaking in tongues was very important to them. We're gonna learn that. I forgot about it.

SPEAKER_06 33:51

But Paul's reputation isn't just tint maker. I mean, his reputation was that he was a top Jewish leader that was trained by the best rabbi.

SPEAKER_04 34:03

But he's going into a gentile world that doesn't know that, right? And so he comes in.

SPEAKER_06 34:09

I think they I think they know Paul's story to where they to where they they're listening to him for some reason. They didn't discount him, I meant from uh short stature. Like there's something that allowed Paul to plan a church, meaning he had favor somewhere.

SPEAKER_04 34:27

No, I think it's just ironic. That's I don't know, I don't think they discount him. I think it's the irony of what they upheld so sure um important. And Paul comes in and he potentially is very short. You're gonna we'll see soon he'll have long hair, which they did not like.

SPEAKER_06 34:44

To Paul Apollos there. Um like is is Apollos.

SPEAKER_04 34:51

I mean, obviously Peter, I mean No no, I think that Peter's the same thing comes along because it also I forget what chapter I mean, all these guys though were Jewish guys. I'm gonna send Apollo Apollos back, but he he didn't want to come. And I think it was probably because of the division in chapter one. Like, I'm gonna cause more harm than good if I come back. And Paul starts to do that.

SPEAKER_06 35:13

Obviously, these are Jewish guys. I mean, Peter, I mean, there's stories, in my opinion, like Paul's story of finding Jesus is probably uh an opening, you know, uh thing that people love to hear. You know what I mean? I want to hear your story, Paul. Like, tell us again about you know being blind.

SPEAKER_04 35:35

I think it just goes to show like I think we've all human nature is always inclined to be a fan of something. So, you know, we're a fan of sports athletes or musical talent. And we follow something all the time.

SPEAKER_02 35:50

Well, I mean, isn't the like number one desired job right now by a teenager? What an influencer. Nobody wants to be a firefighter anymore.

SPEAKER_03 35:58

Firefighters serve people.

SPEAKER_02 35:59

Influencers serve themselves.

SPEAKER_03 36:01

Yeah, yes. And I think what's harder is to serve themselves. This is our culture too, right? It is, yes, everybody wants to know. We all like you want everyone to know what side you're on. Like if you're in a conversation, you can't just be like, oh, Taylor Swift, she's okay if you be like, I hate her or I love her. Like we have to be every we want everyone to know what side. And so, like what you're saying, Pastor Jamie, I don't I don't think a really great speaker with a gift from God that now becomes known and like I guess famous is the word. I don't think they're in the wrong necessarily, unless some of them are. But some of them are not. But it's when I like I'm coming across something in the Bible and the first thing isn't to look more in the Bible for, but I wonder what so and so thinks about that. You know, or like, oh, I'm gonna go to my favorite podcast and see if they've which I have done this and do this. You know, I have my favorite Bible teachers who I immediately want to know what they think about it before I like pray about it more, read more about it. So true.

SPEAKER_04 36:54

And so when they're saying, like by the Holy Spirit, we have to go for anybody.

SPEAKER_06 36:59

Someone had to make them big. Anybody that's an influencer, yeah, if nobody likes your stuff, you're not an influencer. Right. But now that you have a million followers who are now looking for your content, yeah, is it you that's the problem, or is it the fact that you're not sure?

SPEAKER_04 37:13

Well, I think I mean it's also human nature to get puffed up.

SPEAKER_02 37:16

Yeah, and this isn't what Paul's saying. He's saying, why are you putting them there? Yes, he's actually.

SPEAKER_06 37:25

Yeah, I don't want anything to do with that.

SPEAKER_04 37:27

He says, Well, you know what? It's funny too. Putting them in the wrong place.

SPEAKER_06 37:30

That's probably what happens with some of the tours. I'm not going to say Lewis. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 37:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 37:34

Right exactly.

SPEAKER_04 37:34

Why are you in every major city? He names Peter as one, but like in chapter two or maybe in three or four, I don't know. He doesn't name Peter again. It's just like I love when the Bible gives you like silly little like trivias.

SPEAKER_06 37:47

I still think Peter was there whenever Paul knocked on the door. Hey, I follow Jesus now. Peter's like, oh no. Oh no. No, or like we're not letting that guy in.

SPEAKER_04 37:56

I think Peter gets Thomas at the end.

SPEAKER_06 37:58

I'll take his doubting.

Comment Sections And Private Correction

SPEAKER_06 38:00

I'm not letting the murderer in.

SPEAKER_03 38:02

But it's us as believers, when you go to your phone or you're reading the comments in whatever section, it is only between me and the Lord to be wise, to be respectful, to make my own decision, to not elevate one above the other. And I think sometimes we go to the comment section and because you either want to tear down someone you have a problem with or you want to elevate one or defend one. And so it's not our job to throw rocks at those who are seen and heard. It's good to learn some things from some of them. And then some, if you hear something like, I need to reject that, that's unbiblical. But it's not our job to go correcting all of that sometimes. Like you need to I don't know, maybe it is sometimes too. I don't know. I just don't think you're gonna fix anything in the comment section.

SPEAKER_06 38:44

No, I agree. I mean, I think obviously, Casey, I'm curious about this worship leader said this. What do you what do you think about this?

SPEAKER_03 38:52

Yes, but people I really do life with. You know, it's not my job to go to Instagram and let everyone know what I think about.

SPEAKER_06 38:58

I'm gonna live video on social media.

SPEAKER_03 39:02

Right. But then I'm trying to really bring it to Ring Butter. Yeah. I'm just trying to bring it to what how we relate.

SPEAKER_05 39:07

It's really good.

SPEAKER_03 39:08

Then it's Paul's job who does life with Peter and Apollos. Now he's the one that can go and say, Hey, I heard you preach that. That was really great. But maybe say, like, this was a little off, or then they have people in their own.

SPEAKER_04 39:20

Well, you learn to Paul makes tense with Priscilla and Aquila, correct? Priscilla is the one that takes Apollos and then teaches him about the Holy Spirit.

SPEAKER_03 39:29

Yes. Oh, yeah. Because he But they don't tear him down publicly.

SPEAKER_04 39:33

No, but they take him private and they teach him more about uh the function of the Holy Spirit, which is just guys.

SPEAKER_02 39:39

This has been an outstanding first episode. And so the collab the collab between She Wakes and uh collab.

SPEAKER_04 39:45

Watch out, you guys come along.

SPEAKER_02 39:47

Pastor Jamie, you want to close this one out in prayer?

SPEAKER_06 39:49

Yeah.

Prayer And Send Off

SPEAKER_06 39:50

Let's do it. God, I thank you for what you're doing uh in Life Community Church and every person that comes uh this summer, God, uh the way that you're you're moving us, you're growing us, maturing us. God, I pray that you would uh teach us the things that you you know want us to learn. And as we're growing, uh we want to hear your voice. God, we want to be corrected, we want to be uh encouraged, we want to be challenged uh to go deeper and and to be what Paul said in verse two. God, we want to be a holy people, uh, called by your name, because God ultimately we know that you're the one that changes us, you're the one that transforms us, uh, you're the one that makes us holy because of what you did. Uh so Jesus, thank you. Uh I th I pray for every person listening, every person that hears these words, God, I pray that they would be changed by the the power and the gospel and the good news of Jesus. Amen.